The poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter in Salisbury would not surprise the people who dare to take on Putin in Russia. For them, political violence comes as standard. Shot. Stabbed. Poisoned. Beaten senseless by silent thugs, hit over the head with an iron bar, half-blinded by green dye — you would have thought that the Russian police would be busy investigating unsolved attacks on Vladimir Putin’s political opponents. You would be dead wrong.

In four days’ time Russia goes to the polls in a peculiar election. Everyone knows who will win. Kremlin watchers predict that Putin will get roughly 70 per cent of the votes on a 70 per cent turnout. Of the two opponents Putin was worried about, one, Alexei…